Azali
by Ana
Summary: Obi-Wan helps his master through a difficult situation


Title: Azali Author: Anastasia (padawan_ana@yahoo.com) Category: angst, h/c, drama, alternate universe Rating: R (for graphic, non-sexual scenes) Pairing: Q/O Status: Complete Archive: M_A, The Nesting Place, Jedi Hurtaholics, all others please ask Warnings: As stated above, there are some graphic, non-sexual scenes near the end 

Spoilers: None that I'm aware of... 

Summary: Obi-Wan helps his master through a difficult situation 

Feedback: Please, please, please!!!! I get so paranoid when I don't hear from anyone. I don't want to get down on my knees and beg, but I will if I have to. : ) 

Disclaimers: We all know who these characters belong to (Thank you, Mr. Lucas!). And there's no question as to who's getting all the credit, money, attention, etc. for these wonderful men. (Hint: It's not me...) However, I *would* like to use them as props for a few story-telling bouts....and maybe one or two other things. Mr. Lucas, can Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon please come out to play? Thank you! 

Acknowledgements: Thank you to Mama for her quick and gracious offer to beta my story. And thanks to Kaly and Esmerelda for offers of the same. I just posted too quickly for them to do so! Therefore, any errors that remain are entirely my fault. : ) 

Note: This story was written over the course of a weekend: conceived, started, finished, posted. Keeping in mind that my last fic was over two *months* in the making, this is somewhat of a quick post for me. If you enjoy it, please do drop me a note. The plot is somewhat...unique. : ) 

Azali by Ana 

They had searched every system and planet from Coruscant to Tatooine and Malistair to Hoth. Qui-Gon Jinn appeared to be gone. 

* * * 

It had begun as a simple mission: While Obi-Wan had teaching obligations at the Jedi Temple, Qui-Gon had been temporarily freed from his to duties to travel to Melarka. With a new form of government being installed, the high leaders had requested a Jedi presence to ensure a smooth transition in the transfer of power. 

Qui-Gon had kept in contact with his padawan during his two week journey, forwarding reports and updates of the situation as he himself received the reports from the planet. Then, two days before his scheduled arrival on Melarka, there had been an incident. A neighboring planet, deeply submerged in a civil war, had attacked Qui-Gon's ship along with several other vessels which happened to be innocently passing through the system. 

His master's message had said the other ships had been destroyed. Qui-Gon reported that he had been injured, although he would not say how badly, and that the pilot of his ship had been killed. In his final communication, the older Jedi had assured Obi-Wan and the Council that he felt able to fly the slightly damaged craft to its original destination, and to continue from there with his intended mission. He had signed off, saying he would contact them upon his arrival at Melarka. It had only been through Melarka's contact of the Council to request the Jedi's status three days later that they had realized Qui-Gon Jinn was missing. 

That had been seven months ago... 

* * * 

"I respectfully request permission to renew contact with the planets surrounding Melarka," Obi-Wan was saying. He had the Council Chambers floor as he made his latest report on the always-painful subject of the long-absent Jedi. 

"For what reason?" This from Yarael Poof. 

"Many of them were contacted so long ago, that they may have new information to give us," young man urged. "And because most of them are not in contact with the Federation, they may now know something crucial to the case that they did not before." 

"I object," Ki-Adi-Mundi stated stoically. "There is no reason for us to believe that anyone is withholding information-or even for us to believe that there *is* new information to be had." 

Eeth Koth interrupted the Cerean. "We cannot spend eternity second-guessing ourselves and our findings. We have met faithfully every month since Qui-Gon Jinn's disappearance. It has now been more than half a year and still there is no trace of him. We must draw the line somewhere and call off the search." 

Mace Windu, who had grown rather fond and protective of the young man he now called Padawan, saw the effect their words had on him. For the boy's own sake, he hoped Obi-Wan possessed enough control to allow him to hold his place and let the hurt of what they said wash over him and away. 

"The masters have some valid points, Obi-Wan," Windu said quietly. "We're not even certain Qui-Gon survived the initial attack, all those long months ago. He may have been killed in one of the many volleys of weapons fire which followed the first outbreak, or he may not have survived his injuries from the attack." 

Pale and shaking, Obi-Wan addressed his response to Masters Windu and Yoda, who sat beside each other and held more power than any of the other Council members. 

"But we do not *know* that he was killed in the attack. We do not *know* that his injuries were severe enough to have caused his death. We do not *know* that he is dead." Obi-Wan took a shuddering breath. "I believe I would have felt...something...through the training bond I share with my Master if something untoward had happened to him. Yet I have felt nothing." 

"But you told us at the first month's meeting that you could no longer feel the connection that once bound you to your Master," Adi Gallia reminded him. 

"I believe that if my master were de...dead," the word would almost not come out of the padawan's mouth. "I *would* feel it. I feel nothing of our connection, but neither do I feel a DISconnection. I believe, in my heart, that he does still exist. And every Padawan's job is to be faithful to his or her master, is it not?" 

The padawan's ever-changing eyes met with each Council member in turn, and Mace's chest filled with the pride of seeing the young man stand up to the masters and what he believed in. Qui-Gon had trained him impressively. 

"All I ask," Obi-Wan's confidence returned as he brought his final point home. "Is that the Council allow me to continue the search in my spare moments. It will not interfere with my duties here, and I feel that to give this up entirely," his voice cracked, dropping to almost a whisper. "Would be to give up a part of myself." 

Obi-Wan would have been surprised, had he realized just how much the Council as a whole admired his single mindedness and unwavering loyalty to his Master. Individually, they had felt the need to express their opinions on the subject , and many of them *did* feel it was time to call off the search. They were not unfeeling, they merely thought it best that the Council's energies be spent elsewhere. But part of a Padawan's training and background was to practice handling both delicate and difficult situations, and perhaps this would be the appropriate assignment for Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

"Agree with you, the Council does," Yoda said from his small chair. "No longer will you have the help and resources the Council provided, but continue the search on your own, you may. Continue with other duties, the Council must. Go with the Force." 

Obi-Wan bowed to the Council, nodded his head gratefully to his interim master for his support, and took his leave. 

* * * 

Exactly ten months and ten days after Qui-Gon Jinn's disappearance, Obi-Wan Kenobi made a startling discovery. During his evening meditation he *felt* something. Something familiar. Something he hadn't felt in nearly a year. He felt Qui-Gon Jinn in his mind. 

Rising to his feet, tripping on his robes in the process, Obi-Wan stumbled almost blindly to the door, seeking out Master Windu. He found him in the meditation gardens. 

"Master Windu!" Obi-Wan was breathing hard after his near-run through the Temple corridors and outdoor area. "He's ALIVE!" 

* * * 

Piloting the ship toward Azali, Obi-Wan concentrated on the Living Force. Atoms, molecules, solids, gases all bent at his command to the task of increasing the vessel's speed. Twenty days. He had twenty days. Twenty days to make a seventeen day trip, locate Qui-Gon, and get off and away from the planet. This was day twelve. 

As he pressed forward on his journey, Obi-Wan thought over the past two weeks. The evening he had first sensed his Master's presence, he had gotten no sleep. He'd begun pouring over the star charts for the areas of the search and rescue mission again, looking, not for the first time, for anything out of the ordinary. Anything he might have missed the first one hundred times through. 

Master Windu had helped him by going back over the interviews Obi-Wan had done with some of the system's highest leaders. And he'd come up with the same discrepancy-the *only* discrepancy-they had in all the information they'd gathered. In an almost unrelated conversation, one Melarka planet official had offhandedly mentioned 'Azali'. 

At the time, it had not caught Obi-Wan's attention, and he had dismissed it as unimportant. It was not relevant to the matter at hand and could have been a reference to almost anything. But as he'd painstakingly gone over every last word and detail given to him in his investigations, he'd continued to come back to the word. Nowhere could he find reference to it. It meant nothing in Melarkan and when he'd come out and asked to know what it referred to, he was told there was no such word. 

After Qui-Gon's presence had entered his mind, Obi-Wan had been desperate. He had to know the meaning of the last, missing detail. He had to know whether it meant nothing at all...or everything. It had been Master Windu, going against the set-up of non-Council interference, who had solved the puzzle. Using all his powers of persuasion, he had dragged the name out of a Melarkan communications worker. 

Azali literally meant 'hidden'. The planet Azali, they were told, was 'out of planetary synch' with the rest of the system. Every ten months, ten days it was solid and visible for a period of twenty planet rotations. Then it would 'phase out' again, remaining in its orbit but invisible and not accessible to anyone outside its atmosphere. Life continued on for the Azalians, but they could not communicate with the surrounding planets, trade, or travel for another ten months, ten days. 

The communications officer, when pushed, admitted that Azali was kept a secret among all the system's planets because of all the mineral-wealth Azali had to offer when it was 'in synch'. For their silence, the other planets were allowed to mine to their hearts content, all they could export in twenty days' time. In return, the others in the system allowed the Azalians to 'take care of their business' on the neighboring planets, including many ventures that were highly illegal, with no questions asked. The Azalians got their way and the others got rich. It seemed an even trade. Until it ended up involving an innocent...who was also a Jedi Master. 

So now Obi-Wan was off to Azali. It had 'phased in' twelve days earlier and would phase back out again in eight more. He was scheduled to arrive at the planet's location in five days and, if all went according to plan, that would give him three days to track Qui-Gon and leave the system with his master in tow. 

The Melarkans, unhappy at having to divulge such an expensive secret, would not tell him how to contact the planet or any of its officials. All he knew was that Azali was a matriarchal society, where the men were revered in some respects but not treated as equals. He had no idea what that meant for his master. 

The training bond told Obi-Wan that his master was alive, but Qui-Gon either couldn't or wouldn't respond to any of Obi-Wan's mind probes or meditation exercises. The padawan fervently hoped that their connection would grow stronger as he drew nearer to the planet, perhaps allowing Qui-Gon to assist Obi-Wan in locating him on the vast surface of the planet. 

* * * 

The bond's strength did grow as day seventeen of Obi-Wan's trip dawned. Mere hours out of Azalian orbit, the apprentice could feel his master's presence stronger than ever in his mind. But something was not right. Obi-Wan couldn't place what it was, but there was an odd 'feeling' about Qui-Gon's presence. It wasn't exactly secretive, and he didn't think it was intentional, but something about Qui-Gon had changed. 

Obi-Wan spent the last half hour of the ride with his hands on the controls and his eyes closed. Reaching out with the Force, he let himself be guided, in turn guiding the tiny craft into orbit, through the planet's atmosphere, and down to the orange, desert-like surface. And as far as he knew, he had managed it all undetected. 

Disembarking, Obi-Wan lifted his arms to the bright, hot suns, throwing back his head and concentrating on his Master's signature. Again, Qui-Gon did not respond, but the bond was strong enough to allow his padawan to follow it with nearly 100% accuracy. The burning sands scorched his feet, even through his boots, making them feel singed and blistered. His face and body, protected by his cloak, burned with equal intensity in the high heat. Sweating in his black travel-cloak, Obi-Wan trudged on, toward the presence that was distinctly his master. 

* * * 

Obi-Wan had been prepared to be cautious, prepared to be stealthy, but it turned out to be unnecessary. Less than a day's walk away from the ship, Obi-Wan spotted a structure that appeared to be a small, dried-brick house. It was the only such structure-the only structure of *any* kind-Obi-Wan had encountered, and the bond told him his master was definitely inside of it. 

Waiting until the cover of night, Obi-Wan approached the house. Cloak clutched about him as both protection from the desert chill and others who may have been around, he found an open window and carefully slipped inside the dwelling. Drawing his lightsaber, he used it as he would use a flashlight. From the looks of things, the residence was abandoned. Household items lay strewn about in careless disarray, a mouse scurried across the room, skittering over Obi-Wan's foot in its haste. 

The padawan was immediately aware of where his master was located in the house, but he committed himself to securing the area before seeing to Qui-Gon. The rooms were all indeed empty. If there had ever been anyone here, they were not here now. Satisfied that he was safe, Obi-Wan allowed his 'saber to light his way to a small, corner bedroom at the very back of the structure. And there, on a cot, shivering under a large pile of blankets, lay Qui-Gon Jinn. 

Unable to hold himself back, Obi-Wan rushed to the Jedi master's side. The older man was curled around himself, his back to the younger man, but the long, brown hair, unkempt as it was, told Obi-Wan this was his mentor. Not wishing to frighten the apparently exhausted and sleeping man, he knelt quietly at the side of the bed, lightly touching the tangled hair then putting a hand on Qui-Gon's shoulder. 

"Master..." 

The man on the bed moaned, as if in pain. 

"Master?" Obi-Wan allowed his hand to find Qui-Gon's forehead. It was aflame beneath the apprentice's cool fingers. 

"Oh, Master." Spying a candle on the table next to the bed, Obi-Wan used the blue light of his 'saber to start it to burning. It wasn't much, but it gave him at least a somewhat clearer view. 

The dry heat of Qui-Gon's face burned his palms as he held it tenderly in his hands. 

"Master, please wake up. I'm here to take you home." 

Another moan and then eyelids flickered, slowly opening to reveal cloudy blue eyes. 

"O...?" 

The voice was hoarse, dry from the heat of the fever and lack of water, Obi-Wan expected. 

"Yes, Master, I'm here," he assured the confused man. "Are you alone here?" 

Qui-Gon's eyes closed and he shuddered. "Yes," he whispered. "...alone..." 

The way in which it was said caused Obi-Wan to shiver, and he didn't know whether his master was speaking about physical aloneness...or mental. 

"Do you think you are able to travel, Master? We have a long walk back to the ship I brought for you-and we have very little time." He grasped the stack of blankets, preparing to pull them away from the older Jedi and was taken by surprise at the unexpectedly swift reaction. Qui-Gon grabbed the blankets in one large, shaking hand, and held them firmly to himself. 

"Master," Obi-Wan tried to reason. "I know it's cold outside, and I thik you have a high fever, but you must come with me now. If you will just stand up, I'll fix your cloak and some blankets so that you will be warm on our walk." 

"I...cannot..." Qui-Gon said desperately. "*You* cannot..." 

It was very unlike his master to hedge so and Obi-Wan began to worry in earnest. Something was terribly wrong here. And time was slipping away. 

"Master, this planet is unique in its abilities. In just over a day it will cease to exist as we know it. We need to be off-planet and away from here by then-or I won't be able to get you back to Coruscant for a very long time." 

His padawan's tone reached the Jedi master. He made a sound of grudging agreement and dropped his hand away from its grip on the blankets. Slowly and carefully, Obi-Wan slid the blankets down and away, revealing his master's tall, thin figure beneath. 

Although he was using his hands and arms to cover himself as best he could, it was obvious that Qui-Gon was trying to conceal something. Lifting the Jedi's hands away, Obi-Wan froze. This sickness...whatever is was...had caused his master horrible disfigurement. Or perhaps this was the result of some massive infection caused by the virus. 

Qui-Gon's stomach was sickeningly distended. Even beneath the overly large sleep shirt he wore, it was shockingly visible. His engorged belly extended far out beyond anything healthy, and Obi-Wan thought it must be terribly painful. Feeling his padawan's thoughts and fear through their contact, Qui-Gon turned sorrowful eyes on Obi-Wan. 

"Master..." Obi-Wan tried to say, but the word stuck in his throat. He swallowed hard. "We will find a cure for this, I promise you. There are medical manuals and supplies aboard the craft. I will help you to reach it and then I will take care of you, I promise. You will be okay." Even as he said it, Obi-Wan knew it for a possible lie. He'd never seen anything like this, and being contracted on an alien planet such as this, he knew he might not be able to *find* a cure... 

Obi-Wan fought down the tears and panic that threatened to overcome him. Getting his master away from this place was first and foremost his objective. He began, once again, to prepare Qui-Gon for their journey. 

"Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon's voice was a bit stronger, and commanded attention. "You must hear this." He had Obi-Wan's full attention. "I'm not sick." 

The apprentice eyed him in disbelief. He didn't trust Qui-Gon. 

"I speak the truth, my Obi-Wan. I am not sick." Qui-Gon took a long breath, blue eyes looking deeply into amber ones. "I am with child." 

* * * 

Obi-Wan could not have been more surprised if Qui-Gon had told him Wookies had taken over Tatooine. Barely able to think or breathe, he stared at his master in stark disbelief, mouth agape. 

"But Master...it is not biologically possible..." 

Qui-Gon's chuckle was harsh and humorless. "You will find, my Obi-Wan, that if you travel enough of the galaxy, almost *anything* is possible--or can be *made* possible--when the right people and the right skills are involved." 

The long speech cost the man, who doubled over in a violent fit of coughing, clutching his bloated belly in agony. Obi-Wan held Qui-Gon's head and shoulders, giving what comfort he could as he struggled to remove the water flask from the utility belt beneath his cloak. Holding the flask to his master's lips, he sent calming waves of the Force through the hurting man, allowing Qui-Gon to relax enough sip the cool liquid. 

When Qui-Gon was sufficiently recovered from the bout, Obi-Wan spoke softly. "Master, we must leave this place. I regret that I cannot carry you, but I will support you in any way I can. I was almost a day in reaching you. It will surely take us longer than that to return to the vessel, but we have only two days. 

"I'm sorry...this is going to difficult for you, but I cannot risk bringing the ship any closer to this location. I don't believe I was tracked coming in, but if we were to be caught now..." His voice trailed off at the thought. "Will you try for me, Master?" 

In the small nod that was his answer, Obi-Wan saw an old spark of what made his master a great man. 

* * * 

The trip to the vessel took them thirty-seven hours. For the Jedi, it might just as well have been a lifetime. Exhausted, starving and sore, they boarded the ship, Qui-Gon collapsing heavily just inside the hatchway. Obi-Wan spared him a panicked look before bowing to duty and hurrying forward to fire up the engines and ready the ship for departure. 

Having expended every last energy reserve on keeping his Master as mobil and pain-free as possible during the endless journey, Obi-Wan was horribly drained. Barely able to function at even the simplest tasks of walking and sitting upright, the apprentice surprised himself as he lifted the vessel from its ground position and navigated it up through the atmosphere and into the surrounding space. 

After a fuzzy struggle to recall how to set the auto-pilot and head the ship back to Coruscant, Obi-Wan stood up, fully intending to check on his master's condition. But his own condition caught up to him and he collapsed in a boneless heap beside the pilot's chair, unconscious. 

* * * 

He awoke to a familiar warmth in his mind and soft caresses on his face. He was still on the floor at the front of the ship, his head pillowed in something soft. Looking up, he saw Qui-Gon's drawn face above him, blue eyes wide with concern. 

"Master, you should not be up," Obi-Wan began. "You have been through much. Too much." From his prone position in Qui-Gon's lap, he suddenly became aware of the bulge pressed against the side of his face. Concentrating, the apprentice could feel the tiny life inside his Master, could hear the beating of its heart. It was nothing short of a miracle. 

Overcome with emotion, he closed his eyes, opening them only when Qui-Gon spoke. 

"She is very strong with the Force," he said. "I have felt it almost since her conception." 

"She?" Obi-Wan asked in disbelief. "You know that it is a girl?" 

"Yes," the Jedi master replied, stroking his hand once again through his padawan's short, silky hair, offering comfort. "I know. We have a connection." 

Obi-Wan was speechless. His master spoke of it so matter-of-factly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. 

"It is...to the men of Azali," Qui-Gon told him softly, reading his thoughts. "The child is created between the mother and the father, then the embryo of the child is implanted within the father where it grows and matures until the male at last gives birth. It has been done that way for centuries, allowing the female-dominated culture to rule while the males bear and care for the children." 

"But Master..." Obi-Wan could not help his natural curiosity. "How is it possible for *you*...? You are not of Azali." 

"It was not nearly as difficult as you might expect, Padawan," his master said almost cryptically. "We are not so different from the Azalians..." 

Obi-Wan forced himself into a sitting position, barely suppressing a groan as his muscles protested the movement. "I must check the ship's status," he said, finding himself unexpectedly nervous at addressing his master's current condition. "But then will you allow me to make you comfortable on one of the pallets in the back? You should have something to eat and drink, and then you should rest. There are plenty of blankets in storage. You shouldn't be here on the cold floor..." 

Qui-Gon's finger against his lips silenced his ramblings. "Check the ship, Obi-Wan, and then we will take a meal together. As for resting, I have spent more than my share of time resting...alone on Azali." He paused, as memories assailed him. "I crave company, Padawan--your company. After we eat, I should like to take comfort in your presence. The chair beside the pilot's chair should serve nicely. And I will tell you about my time on the planet. Is that acceptable?" 

Put so logically, Obi-Wan could do nothing but nod in agreement. 

* * * 

"My ship was hit a second time, after that first attack," Qui-Gon Jinn said. "There were no other ships within range to help me, and the vessel was spiraling out of control. I had a wound to my back and my head and I knew I wouldn't survive long without medical attention, even if I *could* find somewhere to put the ship down. 

"Azali was the closest planet, and although I didn't even know its name, I headed for it. I managed to hold control of the ship until its crash-landing, and then to escape from inside just moments before it exploded. The impact of it threw me clear of the flames and metal fragments, at least, and I lay on the hot desert sand for what must have been days before Linnea found me and helped me back to her dwelling." 

"Linnea?" The name was like a song on his tongue. "Is she the woman who..." He could not finish. 

His master smiled sadly. "Linnea saved my life. She was a healer who was outcast from her society for expressing her beliefs and practicing medicine in ways that were unconventional to her peers. Sentenced to die in the planet's next Phase, she was living out her last days in the quiet solitude of the home you found me in." 

Obi-Wan wondered at his master's seeming tranquility. The memories had to be fresh and painful, and yet he presented them as he would present a common report to the Council. But the apprentice would not stop Qui-Gon from sharing what was in his heart, and he would listen to it in whatever fashion it was presented. 

Qui-Gon observed his padawan's patient look, and continued. "Linnea knew that I was Jedi. She treated my injuries and cared for me during my long recovery. My spinal column had been severely damaged, and for months I had no feeling below my waist. It was frightening, but through it all, Linnea was strong and confident. 

"While she prepared medicines and creams to help me, she shared stories about herself and her life on Azali, and told me of her death sentence. She did not fear death, but she feared leaving the physical realm with no sons or daughters to carry on her legacy. 

"One night, while I was deeply unconscious under the influence of the most recent medication to repair my spine, Linnea did what she felt was necessary to ensure that her legacy would live on." 

Obi-Wan's gaze swung away from the ship's guidance panel in horror. His master had been taken advantage of, while he was not even conscious! He had been used for an unjustifiable means, his body ravaged and changed beyond his own control. The thought of it made the apprentice ill, and he fought down the bile which rose in his throat. 

"Master..." The white face he turned in Qui-Gon's direction made the older man's heart ache. 

"She did not force herself on me, Obi-Wan," he said. "We did not even mate. She merely...removed what was medically necessary for the fertilization of her egg and in a short, painless procedure she injected my body with an agent that would prepare it to accept the embryo. Then she injected the embryo and it was done. Unconventional, but efficient. 

"When I awoke next, she did not hide the fact from me, merely explained it to me calmly and rationally. I must admit that I did not accept her explanation as quietly as she gave it, but after much meditation I did come to understand it. Eventually I was well enough to get around, but the adjustment to the changes in my body made it difficult to do much. 

"Six months later, they came for Linnea, taking her away and leaving me alone. They knew I would not be able to go anywhere, and considered it a shame upon Linnea and punishment enough for me, a sort of pay back for becoming involved with her. Four months after that, you found me, Obi-Wan, and my life was saved again. This child is going to be very lucky in her lifetime. I know it without a doubt." 

Story apparently at a close, the Jedi Master leaned back, hands rubbing his tight, taut belly in gentle rhythm, serenity spilling from every pore. Obi-Wan stared in amazement. His master was truly gifted in his abilities to accept harsh reality and the unexpected. 

"It must have been very hard for you," he managed to say quietly. "First to accept what had been done to you and then to accept it and live on with it without Linnea's support. You are stronger than I will ever be, my Master." 

The awe and pride in his Padawan's voice brought tears to Qui-Gon's eyes. 

"We all face difficulties in life, my Obi-Wan. You have faced many in your lifetime already. We all have different challenges to meet, and we deal with them to the best of our abilities when they come along." He looked down at his midsection for a long moment. "This is just such a challenge. And if I ever had doubts about whether I could face it, I no longer have them. Because you are here now, and I know that you will be by my side." 

This time the pride and tears were Obi-Wan's. "Yes, Master. Always." 

* * * 

It was a week into their return trip to Coruscant before Obi-Wan was finally able to raise the Council. Communications on the tiny vessel left a lot to be desired and it simply did not possess the power to reach across so great a distance. 

Speaking with Master Windu, Obi-Wan explained everything. He realized his information would likely rock the Council, but it was necessary for them to know, before their arrival There was no reason they needed to be shocked, as he had been, to find Qui-Gon this way. 

In answer to the large Jedi's question, Obi-Wan assured Master Windu that the child was not due to be born for another six weeks, allowing plenty of time for their return to Coruscant, Qui-Gon's settling in, and any testing and observing the healers might wish to do. In addition, he sent along all the information Qui-Gon had been able to provide with regards to the procedure that had been performed on him and his own medical statistics and observations from his care of his master during the trip. 

Master Windu's voice dropped suddenly. 

"Obi-Wan...are we alone?" 

"Yes, Sir," Obi-Wan told him. "Qui-Gon is resting in the back of the ship. He had a hard night last night and didn't get much sleep. Is something wrong, Sir?" 

The other master paused. "How *is* Qui-Gon doing, really? Not physically, or medically...but personally? I'm not asking you to reveal anything you feel a need to keep between the two of you, but I *am* concerned. Qui-Gon has suffered through so much, mind, body, and spirit." 

"Master Qui-Gon is as strong in his convictions as he has ever been, and he is determined to make it through this as well," Obi-Wan said. 

Mace Windu shook his head. "Nearly a year of his life was taken from him and now he is being asked to return to 'business as usual', when it may *never* be 'business as usual' again for him. Things have moved very quickly for both of you since your arrival on Azali, and that concerns me as well. You are bearing more than your share of burdens, too. How are *you* doing?" 

Obi-Wan was surprised at Master Windu's concern for him. He had been so worried about his master's health that he had nearly forgotten all he himself had been through these past weeks. 

"Please don't worry about me, Master Windu," he finally said. "I'm only doing my duty. My Master's health is what is most important to me right now. I'll keep him safe and well cared for until I can bring him home to you. Will that satisfy you?" 

Master Windu's voice sounded choked as he replied, "That will be just fine, Padawan. Please give my regards to Qui-Gon and assure him we will be looking forward to seeing you both on Coruscant in ten days time. Master Windu out." 

* * * 

Qui-Gon's belly seemed to grow larger with each passing day. Obi-Wan thought that it must be his imagination, as he was not used to seeing his Master that way. And there was so much more time before the child would be fully grown and ready to be born. Surely Qui-Gon had not changed *that* much since he'd come aboard. 

The nights became increasingly difficult for Qui-Gon, and in turn for Obi-Wan. His master often awoke, crying out in pain, as the baby shifted or moved into one or another uncomfortable positions. His back ached from the constant pull of the weight in front, and his stomach was sore from the skin being continually forced to stretch in directions it wasn't meant to stretch in. 

During the day, Qui-Gon was no longer comfortable merely lying down or sitting in a chair. He paced 'round and 'round, attempting to disperse the many pains and even meditation eluded him much of the time. At night, Obi-Wan was at his side, measuring his own sleep in minutes, not hours, as he attempted to calm and reassure his master, giving him back rubs and massaging soothing cremes onto his aching limbs and belly. 

On the morning of the twelfth day of their return trip, Obi-Wan left his master sleeping restlessly on his pallet, and moved to the front of the ship. He checked the ship's statistics, laid in several course corrections, and was about to return to his master's side when he heard the man in question approaching. 

"Master," he said as he took one final look at the panel before him. "I was just coming back to..." 

As he turned to face his master, he was startled into silence. Qui-Gon's face was ashen, his stance unsteady. Obi-Wan rushed to his side. 

"Qui-Gon! You must go back and lay down." He took hold of Qui-Gon's arm attempting to turn him around, but the older man was not moving. 

Fear coursed through Obi-Wan as he considered the possibilities of his master's current condition. Was he falling ill? Was he becoming run-down from too many nights of pain and not enough sleep? Was there something Obi-Wan could be doing, to help him, that he was not doing? It was not until the padawan's bare foot hit something slick and wet that he realized there was a serious physical problem. 

Obi-Wan looked at his master, standing in a short, white sleeping shirt, belly huge, legs and feet exposed below. His master swayed and his attention was drawn to the shiny wetness coating his master's legs. His first thought was that Qui-Gon had had an accident. 

"Master! Let me help you," he said, his caring spirit flowing from him in waves. "Come with me into the back and I will find you something dry to wear." 

"No, Obi-Wan." The force behind the words caught the apprentice off-guard. 

"Master?" He wanted to understand what was happening and hoped his master would help him. 

"The fluid sack surrounding the baby has broken," Qui-Gon recited, as if he were teaching a class at the Temple. "The baby's birth will follow soon." 

Shock, thought Obi-Wan. His master was in shock. Not only mental shock, but perhaps on his way to the physical as well. As for Obi-Wan...he could not have been more shocked himself. His master's water had broken? The baby was ready to be born? HERE? On the ship? Suddenly Obi-Wan felt light-headed and weak-kneed. 

He had to be strong for his master. He had to be calm. He had to contact the Council. 

"Master, allow me to help you back to bed. I will make you comfortable and perhaps you will be able to sleep a bit more." 

He could see Qui-Gon shaking his head 'no' at the idea, but it was all he could think to do for the moment. He needed time to prepare, if the baby was truly coming. 

Undressing and drying his master, he covered him in a light blanket when the Jedi refused a change of clothing. He was likely uncomfortable in clothing, and it would only get in the way later, Obi-Wan told himself. Succeeding in placing his master in a light sleep, Obi-Wan ran the length of the vessel and placed a communiqué to Coruscant. 

"Padawan? Is there a problem *I* can assist you with? Masters Windu and Yoda cannot be disturbed." Depa Billaba was nothing but polite and helpful, but Obi-Wan had wanted to speak to one of the others. He felt himself begin to shake and he sat down hard on the chair behind him before his knees buckled and did it for him. 

"Padawan? Are you well?" 

"It's Qui-Gon..." he began. Then he realized he did not know just how much of the situation Master Windu had explained to the other members of the Council. 

Master Billaba looked concerned. "Has the status of his condition changed, Padawan?" 

"I think the baby is going to come before we make it back to Coruscant!" Obi-Wan burst out. "The fluid sack has ruptured and Qui-Gon is in a lot of pain. I've put him to sleep for now, but that's not going to work for much longer." The apprentice's terror at this new turn of events was palpable, even to a woman who was still days away from him by spacecraft. 

"Qui-Gon is aware of the procedure for delivering a child," Depa told the apprentice. "Use his knowledge. The two of you must do this together." 

"But..." Obi-Wan knew there wasn't much more to be said. The situation was happening, whether he wanted it to or not; whether he was ready for it or not. And Qui-Gon *could* help him. He was, after all, his teacher. 

"I am sorry to have bothered you, Master," he told Depa Billaba. "I will go and attend my Master now. Thank you." 

The woman smiled kindly, wanting nothing more than to comfort the padawan who suddenly had the appearance of a scared six-year-old. 

"I will alert Master Windu of your communication," she told Obi-Wan. "And I will have him keep an open line to your vessel. If there is anything you need or want, please do not hesitate to contact us." 

A howl from the rear of the ship was Obi-Wan's cue to terminate the communication. 

* * * 

"How long has this been going on, Master?" Obi-Wan asked. He ran a wet cloth over his master's face and neck, then continued to move it down to the heaving chest. 

"The...contractions...began in the middle of the...night," Qui-Gon managed to get out. "They were very...slight and...I wasn't even sure that they *were*...contractions. But this morning they have been...building in strength...Then the...water broke...and now I'm afraid the pains are coming...rather close together." 

Qui-Gon cried out again, as the sudden pain caught him by surprise. He shook with the effort to breathe with semi-regularity, and was comforted by his padawan's hand slipping into his own. Gratefully, he took hold of it and squeezed. 

When the contraction ended, he captured Obi-Wan's eyes with his own, and held them. "Please do not think that I was...deliberately...withholding information... from you, my Obi-Wan. All of these sensations...are...very strange to me." 

"I know, Master," Obi-Wan told him honestly, picking up the damp cloth once again and wiping the wet forehead. When Obi-Wan's cool cloth dipped unexpectedly to meet the sensitive skin of his belly, Qui-Gon gasped. "Too...cold..." he panted, back arching in reaction. 

"I'm sorry, Master!" Obi-Wan apologized quickly. "I thought that it would soothe your skin. It looks so...sore. I will not do it again." 

The larger man breathed rapidly, eyes squeezed shut, working through another contraction. Resting a warm hand on Qui-Gon's stomach, both to gentle away the pain he'd caused and to build a Force connection there, with the unborn child, Obi-Wan could feel movement beneath his fingers. It was amazing. He stood to fetch some more towels and water. 

"Do not...leave....me..." Qui-Gon begged. 

"I promise I will return quickly," Obi-Wan told him. "In time for the next contraction." 

When he returned, he had with him a wet, heated towel, which he laid cautiously upon his master's belly. The almost erotic wave that pulsed through Qui-Gon's body answered his unasked question. 

"Oh, Obi-Wan...Feels sooo good..." 

Tears sprang to the apprentice's eyes at one simple action bringing that much comfort to his suffering master. 

"I'm glad, Master," he told him. "Would you like a warm cloth on your face?" 

Another sigh, and Obi-Wan had a second hot, wet cloth folded and ready to be draped over his master's forehead and temples. 

The contraction, when it came this time, seemed almost bearable. 

* * * 

Obi-Wan's face reddened. He had seen his master naked many times, but never from this angle. Trying to think clinically, he knelt between Qui-Gon's out-flung legs, locating the small slit in the skin which was already there, just below the penis and testicles. It shouldn't have been...and yet it was. Oh, what his master had gone through! 

"Make the incision, Obi-Wan," his master was urging, gasping. "Please hurry. I assure you I will feel nothing." 

The body before Obi-Wan writhed in pain, and his hand shook in terror. He was no surgeon. But his master insisted Linnea had prepared his body for this. An incision, from testicles to anus, on skin which had grown numb in preparation of this moment, and an opening would be made for the child to be born. 

Lightsaber on the lowest setting, Obi-Wan cut the skin, marveling as it seemed to fold back and away bloodlessly, naturally, almost inviting the child to come forth. 

"It is done, Master," Obi-Wan said shakily, powering down the weapon. "Are you ready?" Another contraction, the hardest yet, shook Qui-Gon's frame powerfully. 

"I think *she* is ready, Padawan," he panted. "Shall we bring her into the world?" 

Obi-Wan couldn't describe the warmth and love that flowed through him in that moment. His master was trusting him with this tiny, new life, and together they would deliver her into the world. 

"Take a deep breath," he told Qui-Gon. "And push." 

Qui-Gon listened to the quiet tone of his padawan, and did as he was told. 

"Again!" Obi-Wan urged. "Push, Master." 

Grunting with the effort, the Jedi closed his eyes and pulled the Force around him. Surrounded by its power, he found the strength to bear the pain. 

"I can see her head, Master!" Obi-Wan had never witnessed anything so breath-taking. This was truly a wonder of the world. "Can you push again, Master?" 

The older Jedi did so, gasping and heaving, hands clenched into fists at his sides. 

"I have the shoulders in my hands," Obi-Wan continued to coach. "Bear down and push, my master. I'm right here." The padawan's voice was gentle, mesmerizing. "You've worked so hard for this...gone through so much. She is your own flesh and blood, Master. A beautiful daughter. She will be such a joy in your life. PUSH, Master!" 

And with one final push, the beautiful baby girl slipped into Obi-Wan's outstretched hands, perfectly delivered into the Light. 

"Master, oh Master! You've done it!" The sweat on the padawan's face mingled with the tears that ran down his cheeks. 

Carefully, he swabbed the squalling newborn clean with a soft, damp cloth, then laid her gently on his master's chest. Activating his 'saber, he cut the cord and awaited the delivery of the placenta, as Qui-Gon had told him to. The contracting of his master's body continued as the last step of the birth process was completed. The newly-created birthing canal could be surgically sealed later, on Coruscant. 

"Obi-Wan..." Qui-Gon's voice startled him from his reverie. "Obi-Wan, please come here." 

Leaving his place at his master's feet, Obi-Wan moved on knees that had become stiff and sore. Pulling a warm blanket up over the Jedi's legs and waist, Obi-Wan moved to sit beside his master. The infant was so tiny. Laying curled on Qui-Gon's chest, she was dwarfed by the large hands that cupped her between them. 

Although the infant did not cry out again as it had before, the small, round mouth opened and closed, searching for food. 

"She is hungry, master. Shall I go and...?" 

"That will not be necessary," Qui-Gon told him quietly. Carefully moving the child to his flat breast, Qui-Gon placed the now-swollen nipple at the entrance to the baby's mouth. After a moment, the newborn eagerly accepted the offer, suckling silently. 

"Master...how...?" 

"It is this way--natural--for all the men of Azali," he said simply. "And while mine is only a temporary gift, I will treasure these abilities I have for as long as I have them." 

Qui-Gon lay a hand on his Padawan's arm. "Thank you, my Obi-Wan. You have always been my pride and joy, and today you were also my strength. We have a beautiful girl to take back with us to Coruscant and the temple, and she will always know that you were the one to bring her into the world. 

"You handled yourself with skill and grace, Padawan, not just today but throughout this most difficult of missions and it will all be in my report to the Council when we return. You are to be commended." 

"Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan said graciously. "But you instructed me. I only followed your directions." 

"One can not instruct someone in the ways of kindness, gentleness, and empathy, my padawan. Those are all gifts you possess deep within yourself. Jedi do not show feelings of pride, outright, but I say to you in truth, that I have never felt more pride for anyone or anything than I do in this moment for you. Linli and I will be forever grateful." 

"Linli," Obi-Wan rolled the word over in his mouth. "Is that to be her name, Master?" 

"Yes, Obi-Wan. 'Lin' will be in remembrance of her mother, Linnea, and 'li', the last bit of Azali, will be a piece of her homeworld she can take with her always." 

"That is a lovely thought, Master. And she is a lovely infant." 

Searching out a second blanket, Obi-Wan tucked it securely around father and daughter. Whispering soft words of comfort, the apprentice watched over them until two sets of eyes fell shut and two hearts beat as one, strong and even. He allowed his fingers to work through his master's long hair, which was loose about the Jedi's shoulders and still damp with the sweat of his efforts, finding comfort in the simple gesture. When they were both soundly asleep, Obi-Wan placed a tender kiss on the cheek of each and made his way forward to contact the Council with the news. 

~el fin~ 


End file.
